ALLIED WAR AIMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17217, 21 January 1918, Page 5

ALLIED WAR AIMS

SPEECH BY MR LLOYD GEORGE. URGENT NEED OF MORE MEN. APPEAL TO TRADE UNIONISTS. FOLLY OR TREASON. 4oskaHan and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter. LONDON, January 1& (Received Jan. 20, at 5.5 p.m.) Mr Lloyd George, addressing representatives of the trade unions affected by the Man-Power Bill, paid a tribute to the manner in which they had met the Government. A spirit of complete frankness had characterised both sides, resulting in the clearing away of misunderstandings. The Prime Minister reiterated that the only alternatives to the proposals were the raising of the age limit, as in Austria, where it is 55, or sending back wounded men. It ■would be folly to withdraw men from industry an hour sooner than was necessary, but it wonld be treason to the country, to democracy, and to the cause of freedom if, when the need arose, the Government did not make the demand.

" I assume," said Mr Lloyd George, that in your hearts you believe that the war aims declared by the great labour conference represent the minimum which can possibly be accepted; but if we are unable to defeat the German forces, if we are unable to resist the military power of Prussia, is there a man here who believes that one of your terms, even the least of them, will be enforced? I am not talking of the demands of Imperialists, or of the demands of extreme war men who want to annex the earth and all the heavenly firmament. lam talking of the moderate demands of the most pacifist soul. Let this assembly go to Hindenburg with them. Let them try to cash that cheque at the Hindenburg bank, and it will be returned dishonoured. Whatever terms are submitted by any pacifist in these lands, you will not get them cashed by Ludendorff, or the Kaiser, or by any of these magnates unless you have got the POWER TO ENFORCE THEM. Mr Lloyd George said that President Wilson, and he himself, without previous consultation, had laid down what was substantially the sjane programme of demands for the termination of the war. There had not been any response from any man of any position in Germany indicating that the rulere of Germany desired to approach the problem in a spirit of equity. We demanded the restoration of Belgium. Would any of his hearers make peace, •without the complete restoration of Belgium and reparation for its wrongs?— (Shouts of "No.") Germany's only answer to that demand came from the soul of von Tirpitz, who replied, "Never. : ' He (the speaker) demanded reconsideration of the wrong of Alsace-Lorraine. Germany answered " Never." The programme he had laid down had been acclaimed throughout the allied countries. Criticism had hardly been heard, except, from a few who wished that Lloyd George had made more extreme demands. The Socialists of France, Britain, and Italy had in the main aceepted the demands as very fair.

Mr Lloyd George emphasised that he would not have the war for a second on his soul if he could stop it honourably. He urged those especially who thought we were responsible for the perpetuation of the horrors of war to consider the reteption of our demands in Germany, where the only comment had been: " Behold how Britain is weakening. Go on, they will come down again." When he suggested that Mesopotamia and Palestine should never be restored to the tyranny of the Turks, Germany answered: "We will go on until they are restored." The Prime Minister emphasised that not a single condition contained in the British Trade Union Avar aims had been met by any authoritative response from Germany. It was very significant that there -had not been any civilian answer from Germany at all. Hindenburg and Ludendorff were hurriedly summoned' to confer at Berlin, but von Kuhlmann was not allowed to speak. That meant that the Prussian military power was dominant. Germany's answer to civilisation would be given

PROM THE CANNON'S MOUTH,

"It would be a mistake to harbour any delusions," said Mr Lloyd George. " Let us talk quite freely here amongst ourselves. You might as well stop fighting unless you are going to do it with all your might. It is real murder of the gal.lant fellows who have stood there for three years._ There is no a-ltemative. You have either got to put your whole strength into it or just do what is done in the Russian army and tell those brave fellows that they can go home whenever they like. If there are men who say they will not go into the trenches, then the men in the trenches have a right to say, ' Neither will we remain here.' That would end the war, but what sort of an end would it be? Russian soldiers ceased fighting and fraternised. They simply talked great ideals and principles to the German army. The Germans did not retreat, but took Riga and the islands. Fraternisation did not prevent the Germans from searching forward, rjid if Petrograd had been nearer they would have had that, too. Unless we are prepared to stand up to the whole might of the people now dominating Germany, you will find the democracy of Europe at the mercy of the cruellest military autocracy the world has ever Keen. If son nmi,

Hindenburg peace delegations he would just mock at your reqnest that he would evacuate Belgium. He"woald say in his heart: ' You cannot turn me out of Belgium with trade union resolutions.' The answer yon can give him is: 'We can and will turn you out of Belgium with trade union guns and trade unionists behind them.' If any man standing in my place can find an honourable and equitable way out of this conflict without fighting it through, for heaven's sake let him tell me. My own conviction is that the people must either , go on or go under."